Thursday, January 24, 2013

I was intrigued recently to see my
hometown of Dalhart, TX, mentioned frequently in ‘The Dust Bowl’ (2012), the
PBS documentary about life on the ravaged American prairie of the 1930s. This
topic and All Things Great Depression is one that I’ve generally avoided over the
years because it’s, well, depressing.

I had greatly short-changed my education.

As with any Ken Burns production, there’s
much to learn and admire. The film weaves a compelling story that makes a fitting companion to ‘The Grapes of Wrath’
(1940), and not just because narrator Peter Coyote sounds a lot like
Henry Fonda.

One of the key things I learned while
watching 'The Dust Bowl' was that The Mission Theater (spelled "Theatre" on its old sign) hosted the world premiere of ‘The Plow That Broke The Plains,’ (1936) a U.S. government-produced documentary created
to enlighten the public about the effects of improper farming techniques.

This film was selected for preservation
in the National Film Registry, and can be seen in its entirety several places
on the web, including, below and also here.

It was interesting to discover this bit
of history just a few months after I last stepped inside The Mission, to inspect the results of its conversion into the new home of the Dalhart congregation
of Hillside Christian Church.

The building’s redesign was impressive. Though I was sad to see my old hometown lose its movie house, it was exciting to get a look at
what its new mission would be.

After the tour, I had the opportunity
to speak to the pastor, who made it clear that he, too, understood and
appreciated the venue’s history in the community. I was ecstatic when he informed me that they planned to project
family-friendly films for the public, on a screen even larger than the one the theater
had previously used.

Below are some of the photos I took
during the visit. But first, check out the following links that show what the theater looked like
just prior to the building renovation.

EVERY MOVIE this guy saw at his hometown theater in the 80s.

Tim Vanderburg is a Dallas area writer who works mostly in advertising. If you have a problem ... and no one else can help ... and if you can find him ... send him an email. He's wondering if anyone is reading this thing.